OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Hood College women's basketball team could not keep up their first half scoring pace against interstate and conference rival Stevenson University, falling 53-39 on the road.
Inside the Box Score
Serenity Ritchie (Martinsburg, W.V./Martinsburg) led the Blazers with 15 points, shooting 3-4 from three-point range.
Kourtney Johnson (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) came down with eight rebounds.
How it Happened
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, with Ritchie making Hood the first team on the board 1:16 into the game. After each teams exchanged three-pointers, with the Blazers ahead 5-3 at 4:27, there would not be another basket made for the next three minutes when Elia Richardson took the lead back for Stevenson. Another bucket exchange took place with less than a minute left, and Hood finished the quarter down just 8-7.
It looked like the second quarter would also be defensive-minded as it would not be until more than two minutes in for Ritchie to again make the first shot of the period, but things evened out a bit afterward, with both squads trading blows and the lead. The first half eventually ended with a player from each side making and missing a free throw, sending them into halftime tied 18-18.
Stevenson seemed to find more of an offensive footing coming out for the third quarter, using a 13-6 run through the middle of the quarter to put the Blazers in a 33-26 hole. A pair of free throws from
Nyjah Harris (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) towards the end of the quarter made it a doable five-point disadvantage though, and Hood held on to keep it that way before the final 10 minutes.
A
Jaylah Putman (Jacksonville, Fla./Long Reach) deep ball 19 seconds into the fourth got Hood within two at 33-31, but unfortunately that would be as close as it would get, as the Mustangs raced ahead with a 14-0 run that ultimately put the game out of reach.
For the Opponent
Anaya Price led Stevenson with 12 points.
Destiny Towns finished the evening with nine rebounds.
Analysis
The Blazers shot 31 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, while the Mustangs hit just 29 percent of shots overall and beyond the arc.
Stevenson's bench outscored Hood's 25-6.
The Blazers turned the ball over 23 times, while the Mustangs committed just 14 of their own.
Notes
Hood drops to 3-17 (0-9), and Stevenson moves to 8-12 (5-54).
Up Next
The Blazers return home to Woodsboro Bank Arena for a rematch against York College of Pennsylvania Saturday, February 7 at 12 p.m.
